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Happy Socks

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Happy Socks
IndustryRetail
Founded2008; 16 years ago (2008) in Stockholm, Sweden
FounderViktor Tell, Mikael Söderlindh
ProductsSocks, underwear, swimwear
ParentPalamon Capital Partners (majority shareholder)
Websitewww.happysocks.com

Happy Socks is a Swedish manufacturer, designer, and retailer of socks and other apparel founded in 2008 by CEO Mikael Söderlindh and creative director Viktor Tell.

Their merchandise is sold online and through in-person retail distributors. There are approximately 100 Happy Socks stores across Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the U.S.

In 2017, Palamon Capital Partners acquired the majority share of the company, valuing the business at $81 million, or SEK 725 million.[1] As of 2023, Alexander Meyer is the CEO of Happy Socks.[2]

Company history

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Happy Socks began in April 2008, when Mikael Söderlindh, an advertising executive, and Viktor Tell, an illustrator and graphic designer, came up with the idea of colorful, printed socks. Three weeks later, production began in a Turkish factory. The socks launched at a price point of $10, and were initially sold on the company’s website. In the first year, Happy Socks' turnover was €1,000,000 (US$1,136,750). In 2016, the brand generated retail sales of $106.4 million.[3]

In 2017, private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners acquired a majority stake in the company from Scope Growth III. At the time, they invested $81.2 million in Happy Socks stock, and Palamon invested about $4.5 million of growth capital.[4]

As of 2018, the brand had sold more than 40 million socks worldwide. Happy Socks expanded to produce underwear and kid's socks in 2014. In 2015, the company added an athletic collection aimed at sneaker wearers and a men's dress collection. In 2017, they launched Hysteria, a fashion collection of materials such as viscose, glitter, and nylon manufactured in Portugal and Italy.[5] Happy Socks had previously been stocked in stores such as Barneys New York and Opening Ceremony; this new collection, designed by associate creative director Paula Maso,[6] moved Happy Socks into retailers such as Selfridges, John Lewis, Urban Outfitters, Tessuti,[7] Bloomingdale’s, Galleries Lafayette, Voo Berlin, and 10 Corso Como.[8]

By the end of 2018, Happy Socks opened 100 concept stores in Paris, London, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Stockholm, and Tokyo. In December 2018, the brand opened its third shop in New York City.[9] In May 2019, Happy Socks opened a second Happy Socks store in Los Angeles.[10]

Happy Socks began producing men's swim trunks in 2018.[3] In Spring 2019, Happy Socks expanded the swimwear line to include a women's line, slider footwear, beach bags, towels, and pool floats. [11]

In addition to its headquarters in central Stockholm, Sweden, the company opened an office in New York City in 2018, followed by an office in Munich, Germany, in January 2019.[12][13]

Celebrity partnerships

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In addition to the Happy Socks original line, the brand attracted several celebrities who collaborated on creative projects and sock designs. In 2013, David LaChapelle photographed the fall marketing campaign, which featured male and female dancers with socks.[14]

Film director Robert Rodriguez, known for El Mariachi, From Dusk Till Dawn, and the Spy Kids franchise, created “Sock 'Em Dead,” a short promotional movie starring Madison Davenport (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series) as an actress making a vampire film who utilizes socks as a weapon. Danny Trejo and Wilmer Valderrama also star. Rodriguez's sock designs were vampires.[15]

Video director Tim Erem partnered with Happy Socks to make a promotional video called "Happy Holidays" in 2018 that starred Pedro Pascal and was choreographed by Michael Rooney.[16]

Marking its 10th anniversary in 2018, Happy Socks released designs that paid tribute to Andy Warhol, a collaboration with recording artist Wiz Khalifa, and a second series with The Beatles, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the group's film, Yellow Submarine.[9] In addition, the company has collaborated with the Elton John AIDS Foundation and released Keith Haring socks and underwear.[17]

Happy Socks has done collaborations with celebrities, brands, and musicians such as Iris Apfel, Ellen Von Unwerth, André Saraiva; Adidas, Pharrell's Billionaire Boys Club, and Giles Deacon; A$AP Rocky, Miike Snow, Steve Aoki, Snoop Dogg[18] and Rolling Stones.[19]

In April 2019, Happy Socks released a short film collaboration with David Hasselhoff called "The Hoff's Day Off," which includes swimwear in colorful prints and summer accessories for men and women.[20] Hasselhoff stars in the accompanying video campaign.[21]

In 2020, Happy Socks released a collection of '80s Mickey Mouse-themed socks in collaboration with Disney. This collaboration returned in 2021, when Happy Socks released a second series of socks featuring Disney's Sensational Six characters: Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Daisy and Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.[2][22] The same year, the company also released a Pippi Longstocking collection, a Zandra Rhodes collaboration, and a series of Monty Python socks.[23][24]

In 2022, Happy Socks collaborated with several entities, such as The Smiley Company, WWF, and Studio Barnhus.[25][26][27]

In 2023, Happy Socks once again released a collection of The Beatles socks.[28] The same year, the company also released a Simpsons collection and a Star Wars collection.[29][30]

In 2024 the company engaged in several collaborative efforts, including Awake NY, Rebel Walls, Elton John, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones.[31][32][33][34]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ UK, FashionNetwork com. "Happy Socks acquired by Palamon Capital Partners". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Hughes, Huw (21 August 2023). "Happy Socks names Alexander Meyer as new CEO". FashionUnited. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b Hughes, Aria (27 April 2018). "Starrett-Lehigh: The Fashion Houses' Home FASHION INTIMATES Happy Socks Founders Map Out Expansion Strategy". WWD. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  4. ^ Hughes, Aria (8 February 2017). "Happy Socks Opens New Stockholm Headquarters". WWD. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  5. ^ Hughes, Aria (28 August 2017). "Happy Socks Goes After Women". WWD. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  6. ^ Pina, Tanisha (28 September 2017). "I Never Cared About 'Cute' Socks Until I Saw These". Racked. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. ^ Spybey, Kat (26 November 2014). "Happy Socks to open UK flagship in London". Drapers. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  8. ^ Pavarini, Maria Cristina (11 October 2013). "Happy Socks collaborate with David LaChapelle". Sportswear International. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  9. ^ a b Bell, Jennie (11 December 2018). "Happy Socks Opens Its 100th Store in the Heart of Times Square". Footwear News. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  10. ^ Arden Chong, Dale (1 May 2019). "Happy Socks opens new Creative Hub with second Los Angeles location". Fashion United. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  11. ^ Driver, Robin (10 April 2019). "Happy Socks expands into swimwear for SS19". Fashion Network. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Happy Socks". oasiscapital.com. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Happy Socks AB - Huvudkontor - Karlavägen 108, Stockholm". hitta.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  14. ^ Lipke, David (9 October 2013). "David LaChapelle Lenses Happy Socks Campaign". WWD. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  15. ^ Solomon, Dan (20 October 2015). "Experience The Terror Of Happy Socks In A Very Meta Short Film From Robert Rodriguez". Fast Company. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  16. ^ Binlot, Ann (12 November 2018). "Watch 'Game Of Thrones' And 'Narcos' Actor Pedro Pascal Dance Into The Holiday Season With Happy Socks". Forbes. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  17. ^ McBain, Amelia (27 April 2018). "The Happy Socks Founders Embrace 'Love For All' With Keith Haring". Out Magazine. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  18. ^ Binlot, Ann (9 May 2018). "Happy Socks Turns 10 After Collaborations With Iris Apfel, Snoop Dogg, A$AP Rocky, The Beatles". Forbes. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  19. ^ Sahai, Fred (8 March 2019). "A Stones Rocker for Each Pair of Socks from their Happy Socks Collab". L'Officiel. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  20. ^ Soo Hoo, Fawnia (9 April 2019). "A BONKERS CHAT WITH DAVID HASSELHOFF ABOUT HOFF MERCH AND HIS STARRING ROLE IN THE HAPPY SOCKS SUMMER CAMPAIGN". Fashionista. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  21. ^ DeAcetis, Joseph (9 April 2019). "David Hasselhoff Stars In Happy Socks First Swim Collection Celebrating A Carefree Heart Of Summer". Forbes. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  22. ^ "The Sensational Six Meet the 1980s for Second Happy Socks x Disney Collaboration". LaughingPlace.com. 25 August 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  23. ^ "Pippi Longstocking socks - 4-pack". www.astridlindgren.com. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  24. ^ Feitelberg, Rosemary (6 April 2021). "Zandra Rhodes Seeing Only Blue Skies With Happy Socks". WWD. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  25. ^ Blomquist, Christopher (22 February 2022). "DOUBLE HAPPINESS: INTRODUCING HAPPY SOCKS X SMILEY". MR Magazine. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  26. ^ Sverige, W. W. F. (7 September 2022). "WWF och Happy Socks ger ut kollektion som hyllar naturen". Världsnaturfonden WWF (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  27. ^ Salmson, Lo (18 May 2022). "Studio Barnhus & Happy Socks går ihop för nytt samarbete + släpper singel". Dopest (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  28. ^ Lonsdale, John (13 September 2023). "Come Together Over the Happy Socks x Beatles Collaboration Sale". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  29. ^ Lonsdale, John (21 February 2023). "'The Simpsons' Gets its Own Colorful Happy Socks Collection, Just in Time for Spring". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  30. ^ Battle, Taylor (18 September 2023). "Happy Socks' Star Wars Collection Is What You Must Have, My Young Padawan". The Pop Insider. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  31. ^ "Awake NY x Happy Socks Revive the '80s Gym Sock for New Collaboration". Hypebeast. 21 May 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Rebel Walls x Happy Socks | A Wallpaper Collab". rebelwalls.com. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  33. ^ Johnston, Rylee (5 March 2024). "Elton John Wants You to Be 'Unapologetically Yourself' In New Happy Socks Collection". Billboard. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  34. ^ Johnston, Tim Chan,Rylee; Chan, Tim; Johnston, Rylee (21 May 2024). "Happy Socks' Rolling Stones Collection Is Back In Stock Just in Time for Father's Day". Billboard. Retrieved 15 August 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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